Crimping device



Dec. 30, 1969 J. R.,F|LsoN CRIMPING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1968 United States Patent O 3,486,362 CRIMPING DEVICE John Richard Filson, 95 N. Lakeside Drive, Medford, NJ. 08055 Filed Mar. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 710,188 Int. Cl. B21d 39/04 U.S. Cl. 'l2-401 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned essentially lwith a crimping device wherein a crimping plunger is flanked by loosely mounted fingers engageable with guide means to clinch a workpiece when the latter is crimped by engagement with a punch member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is Well known to those versed in the fart, clinching and/or crimping operating now conventionally employ apparatus of the above-described general type wherein one or more dies are flanked by sidepieces movable toward and .away from each other, the movement of sidepieces toward each other effecting a clinching oper-ation, and movement away from each other affording release of the finished workpiece. An example of such apparatus is disclosed in applicants prior Patent 3,245,246.

In such prior devices difficulty has been encountered by forcing or extrusion of material of the workpiece between the die and lingers. This tendency results in jamming and other malfunction of the apparatus, which 'seriously impairs product output, often damaging the apparatus and causing waste.

SUMMARY Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a crimping apparatus which overcomes the above-.mentioned difficulties, departing in concept from prior teachings to effectively prevent the forcing or extrusion of workpiece material between the clinching fingers and crimping die.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a crimping apparatus havingv the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is ex BRIEF DESCRIPTION `OF THE DRAWING FIGURE l is a side elevational view showing apparatus of the present invention in an operative condition, and partly broken away for clarity of understanding.

3,486,362 Patented Dec. 30, 1969 ICC FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken generally along the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an offset sectional View taken generally along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view showing certain component parts of the instant apparatus.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing one type of workpiece adapted to be worked by the instant apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and specifically to FIGURE 1 thereof, a vertically reciprocable plunger is generally `designated 10, and may be the plunger or ram of a punch press, or the like. Spaced below the plunger is a bed 11, which may be fixed, and toward and away from which the plunger reciprocates. The bed 11 may be formed with a pair of spaced openings 12 and 13, leaving therebetween -a work-supporting bed por- -tion 14. The outer sides of the bed openings 12 rand 13, respectively designated 15 and 16 serve as guide means or ways, in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

The work is generally designated 20, and may include stamped and parti-ally formed strip material, say an intermediate stage of wire-terminal formations, each respectively designated 21 to be clinched about a wire and crimped thereto. The separate terminal formations 2-1 m-ay be joined by connecting `strip portions 22 and automatically fed, in successive relation, to a working position on the bed 11.

Carried on the underside of the plunger or ram 10 is a holder, generally designated 25. The holder 25 may be formed of a pair of mating pieces 26 and 27, each including a generally vertical inner portion, respectively designated 28 and 29 and a laterally outstanding upper portion or fiange, as at 30 and 31. The inner portions 28 and 29 have their inner surfaces generally vertical and in facing engagement with each other, being fixedly secured together, as by tie bolts 32 and 33. The upper liange portions 30 and 31 may be fixed to the undersurf-ace of ram for plunger 10, as -by fasteners 34, 3S, 36 and 37, or other suitable means.

The inner, depending portions 28 and 29 of holder members 26 and 27 have their upper surface-s recessed or cut fa-way, as at 38 and 39, so as to be spaced below the undersurface of the plunger |10. Further, the inner, er1- gaging surfaces of the depending holder-member portions 28 and 29 are vertically cut away, as at 40 and 41 to define complementary, vertically extending recesses, which combine to define a vertically extending thru opening 42 in the holder 25. This holder opening 42 faces downwardi ly and opens toward the bed 11. The complementary recesses 40 `and 41 of the respective holder parts 26 and 27 are each cut away, as by respective vertically extending grooves 43 and 44, which grooves are Ivertically coextensive lwith the opening 42.

Interiorly of the holder opening `42 is located a blocklike punch member 46, best seen in FIGURE 4. The punch member extends vertically through the holder opening 42, being of generally rectangular configuration, and projects downwardly below the holder 25. More specifically, the punch member 46 extends, in its lateral direction, transversely across the holder opening 42, having its opposite sides 47 and 48 received in respective vertically extending grooves or recesses 43 and 44. The punch-member side 48 may be formed -with an angulate notch 49 for receiving a setscrew threadedly engaged through the :adjacent holder part 29, see FIGURE 3.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the punch member 46 occupies only a part of the holder opening 42,v its opposite faces 51 and 52 being spaced from opposite walls of the holder opening. The faces 51 and 52 are each formed with a laterally extending arcuate recess or groove formation, as at 53 and 54, for a purpose appearing presently. As noted, the punch member 46 depends from the lower end of the holder opening 42 downardly beyond the holder 25 and terminates in a working surface 55. The working surface 55 faces generally downwardly, and may be generally flat, or configured for engagement with a particular workpiece, as by a groove, or otherwise. The punch member is also formed, say in one face 51, with a vertical groove or slot, as at 56, for receiving a cutoff punch, if desired. One form of such punch is generally designated 57, and may be composed of a plate configured, as required, to perform a desired cutoff operation.

One or more clinching figures, such as the pair of clinching fingers 60 and 61 are disposed on one side of the punch member 46 adjacent to the punch-member face 52, extending vertically within the holder opening 42. The fingers 60 and 61 may each be of vertically extending bar-like configuration, each including an arcuate boss or pivot formation, as at 62 and 63 rotatably received in the punch-member groove 54. The fingers 60 and 61 extend vertically along the vertical extent of punch member 46, and each includes an extending portion, as at 64, depending beyond the lower end or working surface 55 of the punch member. In addition, each finger 60, 61 is formed with a clinching element 65 projecting laterally from the extending portion 64 immediately beneath the punch-member working surface 55 and terminating in a generally vertically extending clinching surface 66 substantially normal to the punch-member working surface.

As best seen in FIGURE l, the fingers 60 and 61 are provided with slight clearance in the holder opening 42, as at 67, so that the fingers are loosely retained in the holder opening and swingable or pivoted about the formations 54, 62 and 63. Also, the lower ends of the extending portions 64 are advantageously chamfered or beveled, for purposes appearing presently.

On the other side of the punch member 46, within the opening 42 adjacent to the punch-member face 51 is one or a pair of additional clinching fingers 70 and 71, also of generally elongate, substantially bar-like configuration. The lingersl 70 and 71 may each be substantially identical to each other, and substantially identical to the fingers 60 and 61, but of slightly less thickness, being located on opposite sides of the cutoff punch 57. That is, the fingers 70 and 71 extend vertically through the holder opening 42, on opposite sides of the cutoff punch 57, each including an extending portion 72 and 73 depending below the lower end or working surface 55 of the punch member. A clinching element projects laterally inwardly from each extending portion 72 and 73, as at 74 and 75, respectively, immediately beneath the punchmember working surface 55. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the clinch fingers 60 and 70 define an opposed pair, being located in opposed relation on opposite sides of the punch member, while the clinch fingers 61 and 71 similarly define an opposed pair on opposite sides of the punch member. The clinching elements 65 and 74 of respective fingers 60 and 70 extend laterally inwardly toward and terminate short of each other in facing clinching surfaces beneath the working surface 55 of the punch member, and the opposed pair of clinching fingers 61 and 71 have their clinching elements similarly extending laterally inwardly toward and terminating short of each other beneath the working surface of the punch member.

The clinching fingers 70 and 71 each include an arcuate boss or formation, as at 76 and 77 received in the arcuate groove 53 of the punch-member face 51; and, the clinching fingers 70 and 71 are configured to leave slight clearance within the holder opening 42, to afford a looseness or slight swinging movement of the clinching members about the formations 53, 76 and 77 as pivot means. That is, the lower or extending end portions 72 and 73 of the fingers 70 and 71 are swingable respectively toward the swingable lower or extending end portions of the fingers 60 and 61. Also, the lower or extending end portions 72 and 73 of the fingers 70 and 71 are advantageously beveled or chamfered in the same manner as the fingers 60 and 61.

Operation is best seen in FIGURE l, the plunger 10 having been shifted downwardly with the opposed pairs of fingers 60 and 70, and 61 and 71 astride a workpiece resting on the support 14 of the bed. The ngers 60, 70, 61 and 71 are constrained to enter into the bed openings or holes 12 and 13 by the chamfered ends of the fingers, and the loose mounting thereof. In this manner, the fingers are swung together to effectively clinch the workpiece, and upon continued downward movement of the assembly, the lower working surface 55 of the punch member 46 engages with the workpiece to crimp the latter in a desired configuration. Upon upward withdrawal of the die assembly, the resilience of the workpiece serves to shift the opposed pairs of fingers 60 and 70, and 61 and 71 away from each other to release the workpiece. This procedure is repeated upon feeding movement of the work 20 to remove the previously worked piece and properly locate a successive piece for working.

An important feature of the instant invention resides in the configuration of the punch member 46 with its lower working surface 45 extending generally normal to the direction of movement, across and beyond, and generally normal to the inner clinching surfaces of clinching elements and 74. By this configuration, it has been found that the tendency in previous crimping devices to extrude the workpiece material between the die parts is obviated.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a crimping device which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, maintenance and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the ,spirit ofthe invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A crimping device comprising a` bed for supporting work, a plunger reciprocable toward and away from the bed, a holder on said plunger for movement therewith toward and away from said bed and having an opening facing toward said bed, a punch member fixedly secured in said opening and projecting beyond said holder terminating in a working surface facing toward said bed, a pair of fingers in said holder opening on opposite sides of said punch member and extending from said holder beyond the working surface of said punch member, at least one of said fingers being loosely mounted for relative lateral finger vmovement toward and away from each other, clinching elements projecting laterally inwardly toward each other from the extending portions of respective fingers partially across said working surface, said clinching elements terminating short of each other in clinching surfaces immediately beneath said working surface, and guide means on said bed engagea'ble with the outer sides of said fingers to urge the latter together upon plunger movement toward the bed to clinch a workpiece between said clinching surfaces and crimp the workpiece Iupon engagement thereby with said working surface.

2. A crimping device according to claim 5, wherein both of said pair of fingers are loosely mounted for relative lateral finger movement toward and away from each other.

3. A crimping device according to claim 2, in combination with intertting pivot means on said punch member and each of said lingers to locate the latter relative to said punch member and mount the iingers for said lateral movement.

4. A crimping device according to claim 3, in com- 10 generally normal to the clinching surfaces of said clinching elements, to effectively prevent wear of the punch References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1942 Brooks 72-383 4/1966 Filson 72--400 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner M. I. KEENAN, Assistant Examiner 

